From Yorkshire terriers the size of a teacup to Irish wolfhounds near the size of a small pony, all dogs originated from a single species, probably an East Asian wolf seeking the warmth of the human hearth and an easy meal.

Saw part of a documentary several years ago about dogs. Guy asserted that dogs domesticated man...it was an interesting take...talked about how dogs functioned as baby sitters back at the old cave, freeing up the human parent, dogs as hunting partners & result of making hunting easier & more productive. If anyone remembers this program and 'especially' if they know who the man was featured in the show, I'd love to know. If he wrote a book, I want it! Been bugging me for years & I've googled & googled trying to track it down.

Thanks for posting this. It's one of my favorite scientific investigations. Dogs have been found to be entirely descended from one species Canis Lupus and mostly from subspecies chanco, the Chinese wolf. All new and old world dog fossils are of this old world species. New World evidence of dogs go back to the Pleistocene. This means humans colonized most of the world in the company of dogs.

Probably happened much longer ago than 100,000 years and more than one species of 'dog'. Why are these people so arrogant in their assessments when they do not have the complete facts.

Geneticists can literally 'count' generations by tracing common genetic anomalies found in any population. You can therefore estimate the length of time since that anomaly first appeared. It's pretty well established in humans and they have been using this information to trace pre-historic human migrations. This is probably why they are saying that there were as few as 6 "domestication events" -- they probably have distilled the genetic markers down to 6 ancestral dogs.

Somewhere along the way, humans learned they could breed dogs for particular jobs. Mating two fast dogs produced young that were also fast. The same was true for dogs that could dig, herd animals, hunt or attack humans.

The various breeds look the way they do because sometime in the distant past humans wanted a dog for specific service to people, said Lynch.

I didn't see that show, but I at least used to have a file from several online articles and papers and such, making the same points. It's intriguing, but probably written up by a bunch of dog lovers. ;')

An Australian study claims mankind couldn't have conquered the globe without the dog. Researchers say the domestication of the wolf led to the hunting of bigger game and even the development of art. They claim the dog was one of a few key forces which led to modern humans and therefore changed the world forever. Dr Paul Tacon, of the Australian Museum in Sydney, and bio-archaeology consultant Dr Colin Pardoe, say fossil and DNA evidence both point to dog domestication over 100,000 years ago.

And yet, after 100,000 years, we still have to take them out so they can go to the bathroom.

All of the hundreds of breeds of modern domestic dog, from the Afghan hound to the chihuahua, can be traced back to just 10 "progenitor" breeds, say US scientists... Humans first domesticated wolves about 15,000 years ago, most probably to help them hunt. Domestication involves selectively breeding a species so that they can be controlled more easily. The latest genetic information suggests that the domestication of wolves first occurred in Asia... The researchers believe that by 10,000 to 12,000 years later, 10 "progenitor breeds" of dog had been created to fulfill different roles alongside their masters... The 10 progenitors identified by the researchers are: sight hounds, scent hounds, working and guard dogs, northern breeds, flushing spaniels, water spaniels and retrievers, pointers, terriers, herding dogs and toy and companion dogs... Gordon Lark, who is studying canine genetics at the University of Utah... says developing a genetic map, rather than a genealogical one will be more useful for understanding canine evolution, behaviour and health. Scientists are expected to finish sequencing the dog genome within a year.

They forgot "chow hounds" -- probably the first use of dog species. As Dustin Hoffman's character sez in "Little Big Man", the flavor can be downright delicate.

The Coyote is one of 8 species of the genus Canis. Four of these are jackals of Europe, Africa & Asia. Other members of the genus include the Gray Wolf (C. lupus), the Red Wolf (C. rufus) and all the breeds of the domestic dog (C. familiaris).

Coyotes are not your average dog -- they are not to be messed with. They are smart, and they learn quickly. They can be dangerous, and when it comes to urban coyotes, steps should be taken to avoid encouraging them to visit your neighborhood. That means close garbage can lids tightly, do not leave pet food outside and do not leave small pets outside unaccompanied.

Coyotes love nothing better than cats and frequently take small dogs. Inform neighbors of your sighting and encourage them to take steps to NOT attract the clever little varmints. Remember: Make sure that no pet food is ever left outdoors.

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